MXGirls ride day

OK if you are a female in the southern California area and you weren't at Milestone on Sunday you were missing out. It was a great opportunity to get out and meet other girls in our sport. And while we didn't discriminate and let the boys come too it was such a change to see the tracks crowded with the majority of the riders having ponytails. I am sure a lot of girls were at a track for the first time and they had lessons for beginners and more advanced riders as well. Even though the weather didn't cooperate with the strong gusty winds it couldn't stop a bunch of girls from having a good time on their dirt bikes. Here I am with a girl I have been giving lessons to for a year now, Lauren Jung (right) and her sister Ashley. Both have come a long way in their riding. Good Job girls!

Changing my oil

So the other day it was getting time to change the oil on my bike, I have done it many times before but it never gets any easier. I have said it before I just hate bike work, but let me explain its not that I think I'm too good for it, or that its a man's job. I have seen my friend Kaili change the tire on a car with five guys all watching in awe, none of them offering to help but simply amazed that she knew what she was doing. My friend Jessi also does most of her own maintenance to her bikes and never complains. The difference with me is even though I have been taught how to work on my bike and I should know what I'm doing, I'm just no good at it. Tools feel more foreign in my hands than eating soup with chop sticks. Not only did I drop the socket wrench in the (half full) drain bucket upon loosening the bolt, but I also over tightened the bolt, causing the hole to crack and now I have a slow leak. Note the oil stain on the garage floor. How in the world its possible for me to over tighten a bolt I do not know? I guess all this working out is paying off. So for all of you guys AND girls who are able to work on your bikes without breaking things my hats off to you. Though the good Lord gave me many talents, mechanic just isn't one of them.

Elsinore

Pulling up to Elsinore today I saw the bulldozer working on the driveway, removing some of the mud trying to make it drivable. Right away I should have known what the track would be like, I mean come on the track is built on a dried up lake bed it obviously holds water pretty good. I was the first person there so I got the privilege of breaking the line for everyone else, all the while with a huge smile on my face. Though I love riding in mud its something I don't do that often anymore. I am never in Michigan when the snow melts anymore, back in the day when we couldn't ride for four months as soon as the dirt road we lived on started to melt my dad would let my brother and I do cirlces in it as long as we racked out the ruts afterwards. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The best part of riding in the mud back then or at any race I go to now is as soon as I pull off the track I could just hand my bike to my dad. I always hang out for a little while looking like I care but really I just want him to spray off my boots. Today as I loaded my bike I knew that the garden hose was not going to do the trick and I headed straight for the car wash before the mud had a chance to dry and cake itself on. I spent all of my quarters and one dollar bills trying to get it clean and it still didn't do the trick. Though I had a lot of fun and it was well worth it I have to say it, Daddy I wish you were here.

Practice makes perfect

Its true practice does make perfect. And not to pick on California anymore than I need to (someone commented me that if I do it too much I will get thrown out) but if you guys out here want to be good in mud then stop cancelling races every time it rains! Yesterday was the second weekend in a row I woke up early excited to go get muddy only to find out the race was cancelled:( Now I'm not a fan of the clean up either (but hey I dont like washing my bike no matter what the conditions) and I have been known to pass up a practice day or two in the rain. But racing is different, and there really is nothing better than racing in mud. I know its still months away but I hear a lot of people out here talking about qualifying for Loretta's this year so all I have to say is if you are planning on going you better start riding in the mud because it ALWAYS rains at the ranch. See you there, I'll be the one smiling when the skies turn grey.

More rain!!!

OK I am so sorry I haven't updated in awhile, since I have actually started getting phone calls asking when I am going to post something new I figured I better get on it. The thing is not much has been going on, I have been riding almost everyday, up until this recent rain storm that has lasted a full week. Now as you all know I am not afraid of a little rain, I thrive on it. But theres not much I can do when all of the tracks in southern California shut down. Now I could crack some jokes right now about Californians not knowing how to drive or ride in the rain, but I am beginning to like it here, and besides I will take rain over snow any day so who's complaining? Its just that its been a week now and I'm getting a little anxious to get back on my Suzuki (which, by the way, I absolutely LOVE) so it can stop at any time.

According to the weather its not supposed to let up until the end of the week so it looks like its going to be another muddy Supercross at Anaheim 3. Speaking of Supercross I am getting a little annoyed at all of the "main event" board and "30 second" board girls. Not to mention every energy drink company is in some huge competition to see who can have the most scantily clad girls on display. Its bad enough when these girls are getting paid to dress like this but then there are fans walking around wearing less than what I wear to the beach (of course I would actually have to go to the beach first, I never have the time). At the nationals in the summer time ladies I can totally see where you are coming from because trust me if I didn't have to wear 15 lbs of gear and look professional at all times I wouldn't. But at Anaheim 2 I had on a hooded sweatshirt with a down jacket over top, and I'm from the arctic, I am used to the cold. I have no idea why these girls want to freeze all night long just to have some drunks in the stands make rude comments to them. Then yesterday when I watched San Fransisco on TV I was actually ashamed at how the girls were portrayed. Lets not forget this is a family sport, I see a lot of female faces and little kids in the stands who do not want to see some girl shaking her ass. And for someone who has never watched a Supercross before and their remote just happened to land on it, what are they thinking? I get so many emails from girls and boys alike, asking me for advice on convincing their mothers to let them ride and race motocross. To me its a no brainer, I have spent almost every weekend as a teenager at the race track with my parents instead of running around drinking and getting into trouble like a normal teen. Up until recently the motocross track has been a great place to be with your family. Now my number one advice would be "don't let your mom watch Supercross on TV."

Guys, come on, can't it just be about the racing again, not the show? And girls? If you are starving for attention that badly get it the real way, go out and write a book, invent something, find a cure for cancer or learn how to jump a Supercross triple. Stop showing off those fake boobs, you are better than that...I am sorry if this came off as a little too strong, but I am sure that most of you girls who read this feel the same way.

Riding with TJ

While I have spent so much time riding in California these past few years, my older brother Terry (TJ) has never had the chance to make it out until now. He is only visiting for about a week, but it has been fun showing him around to some of the tracks out here. Of course with all of the rain we have been getting most of the tracks have been closed. But we had a blast today at Starwest. Look at the picture, even though he is on a different bike and weighs about 100 lbs more than me we have the same style. I'm glad the family resemblance shows up with our helmets on not off:)

Rampage!

I started going to the Pontiac supercross back in 1993, with my dad and brother. Back then I was big into collecting autographs. I remember one year everyone had already gone back to their hotels after the race except for Guy Cooper who was still signing under the Suzuki box van. Guy was my favorite rider and the only autograph I even cared to really get. All the way home I remember thinking what that said about his character for staying later than anyone else, and it made me like him that much more.

I wish I could say that I still have that poster on my wall, but its been long gone. However a couple of years ago I made a trade off with his nephew, my jersey (to serve as a birthday present for his girlfriend) in exchange for Guys. That jersey is still on my wall and will never go down.

Now when I go to a supercross I know most of the riders from growing up with them and racing amateur nationals together. I am no longer a "fan" of anyone, I just cheer for my friends. The last time I can remember getting my picture taken with anyone as a fan was with Jeff Emig back in '98 (though talking to him still makes me nervous to this day). I have signed more autographs than I have ever received and I know what its like to get asked for pictures. I thought I was done getting nervous at supercrosses, that is until this weekend.

Richardson's RV is sponsored by Throwdown, a big company in the UFC, who Rampage (my favorite fighter) also happens to fight for. I heard he was going to be at Anahiem 1 and I waited all night to finally meet him. He was kind enough to talk to me a little while, saying he has one of "those bikes, like they raced tonight, I don't know what it is I'm not good with numbers, but its a big one" but said he needs something smaller because its too much for him. Which I laughed at, if all 125 lbs of me can handle a 450 I'm sure that he could too. I was shocked that he never cursed once in our conversation, if you have ever seen one of his interviews most of it is BLEEPED out. He also said he couldn't put me in a head lock because I am a girl, but he let me put him in one, though my arms would barely fit around his neck! Anyways I just wanted to say thank you to Rampage for making me nervous and reminding me what its like to be a fan again.

Happy Holidays!

I know its not possible for me to send everyone a Christmas card, so for those of you I missed this was the picture on my card this year. Cheesy I know but I just couldn't resist. I just hope everyone knows it was meant as a joke, I admit to being a dork but I'm not THAT bad.
Anyways I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I know I sure did. I just love everything about this time of year, of course it goes by way too fast! So I will leave you with 10 of my favorite things that I only have to wait 364 days for them to come again!

10. I have an excuse to go shopping!
9. It is the only time of year I like snow.
8. Christmas lights.
7. All of the yummy food and cookies!
6. Decorating the tree.
5. Getting dressed up Christmas eve to go to Church, where I always read the lessons every year.
4. Grandma's apple pie!
3. Being with my family, so many aunts, uncles and cousins I only see a few times a year.
2. Of course everyone loves getting presents, but I prefer to be the giver. I love giving presents.
1. And my favorite thing about the holiday season is the 10 pm candle light church service. Everyone holding candles and singing Silent Night brings tears to my eyes every year, without it it wouldn't be Christmas.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! PS. I am leaving the cold for sunny California on Saturday so finally I will be blogging about riding again!

The Cheboygan Tribune

I must say I love the small town I grew up in. I hope to spend at least my summer months here for the rest of my life. But there are certain things about small towns that really get to me. A couple of years ago after winning my 4th title at Loretta Lynn's my mother called the news paper in town to ask if they wanted to run a story on it. In a town of 5,000 people, one of those people winning a national title in ANYTHING is news. Well the sports editor didn't really think so and we went back and forth on the phone and email. First he said he wanted to meet in person but I was leaving the country for three weeks the next day so he wanted me to call him when I got back which I did. He replied in an email saying that even if he went through with the story he wasn't sure it would ever go to print because it was football season. My reply might have been over the top, but I was furious. It went something like..."I am aware its football season and once attending Cheboygan High myself I understand that you can't get any where in this town unless you participate in school sports. Just answer me when was the last time any of our teams made it to nationals, let alone won them?" Then I told him, "as for all the members of this community who keep asking my why I haven't been in the news paper yet I will just tell them to read my column in Racer X, or they can read about me in the Detroit Freepress or the New Jersey Star Ledger who have both done stories on me earlier this summer. Or they could even watch the Disney movie 'Moto Kids' or MTV's True Life." Needless to say this was followed by another reply from him saying I was the cockiest person he had ever met in his life and all of my success has gone to my head.

I don't think that is true, I know all I do is ride a motorcycle, its nothing to really brag about but being told there was no room in the news paper because they had to run football scores really got me going. How ever a few weeks later in the sports section there was a small article that he put together off of information he found in my bio on the WMA website. That was that and we haven't talked since. I had almost forgotten this whole incident until last weekend when I took my puppy Frankie to the book store in town to get his picture taken with Santa Claus. Being the proud mommy that I am I have to say every one loved him because he is the cutest dog out there. Great Danes aren't very popular up here, and most of the dogs in that day were little ankle bitters. Needles to say Frankie being the ham that he is made everyone fall in love (he's so good at this my DAD actually even likes him! My dad is NOT an animal person). And after getting our picture they asked me to sign a release to allow them to use the picture in the paper. I gladly signed thinking how cute he would look. But this Friday when my Father picked up the paper and there was Frankie all 5 months and 70 lbs of him on Santa's lap all I could think of was the last time I was in our news paper and the trouble I had to go through. The moral of this story? Apparently in a small town winning a national championship isn't news, but my puppy sitting on Santa's lap? Alert the press!!!!!

Snow shoeing

I must say my family is getting aggravated with all of my complaining. I came home from California three weeks ago to two feet of snow and I haven't been very happy about it! Snow may be pretty but when you grow up with an over protective father who doesn't want you to do any winter sports like snowmobiling or snowboarding because they are too dangerous, pretty is about its only quality. Just the other day my mother who has taken up snow shoeing asked me to join her. I have heard that snow shoeing is a great pass time (I got yelled at earlier for calling it "the worst sport in the world'" I guess its not a sport) and a very good work out. I must have been doing something wrong then because even though I tried making it harder by breaking my own trail and going up and down the jumps on my track I never warmed up, and didn't even come close to breaking a sweat. I must admit it was nice to do something outside, but as far as a workout goes the hardest part was when my dogs would step on my shoes and trip me. Here in this picture all three of them Frankie, Endo and our beagle Buddy are all tackling me. Yes I am actually in this picture. But I have decided from now on if I want fresh air I will just go wrestle with them without the snowshoes for them to trip me with and as for a work out I will just stick to the gym, where there is HEAT!